I know JohnM has said an update to the forum software is imminent, however, would it be possible to link to the phpbb admin site & see if the 'user preferences console' can be improved

It seems to me to be a failing which we are misinterpreting as a Puppy forum organisational problem

Suggestion:
I would like, for example, to be able to view threads/posts ALPHABETICALLY, rather than by ascending/descending..... that would help me [possibly] by pre-sorting posts in a familiar format
{I'm not suggesting new categories/sections as I see that as admin hell!}
Oh, how I yearn for an intelligently accessible database of posts.......
Can it be done? [or some other preference I may choose, to make my choice of viewing the forum ........ personal - but still communicable to other users]

Though I realize that [probably] most people have their preferences set to 'default'

Then of course, there's wordpress, bbpress, vbulletin, yabb, pupbb, invision.....etc
We don't HAVE to use phpbb 2, 3 or xxx otherwise

It could be suggested to JohnM, if there were another popular user preference
Perhaps a poll?

Thanks

Aitch
Edit: concur with canbyte May 05, 2009 2:21 am
sorry Rob this forum software doesn't cater for edits/sequencingLast edited by Aitch on Sat 09 May 2009, 08:32; edited 2 times in total

If were moving towards more of a "team game" with puppy development, its possible to arrange members in "teams" or roles. This would make it easy to spot if someone was say a "developer", a "tester" or even a "newbie expert"

ecomoney: The forum does support groups of users. I don't think we're at the point where that would be worth using much. The main thing it would be nice for is simplifying permission management - if there were a set of sections where only testers should be posting, or only devs, etc. and we had dedicated teams of those types of people led by trusted individuals, then that would be a good way to do it. Currently however, that isn't the case. People can still identify what they do in their sig though.

I did consider using that system for the NPD mod, so that I could just set the permissions for that group and then change whoever's in it when the coordinator changes. I might still do that, especially if we wind up with several subsections in here._________________Between depriving a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there exists only a difference of degree. --Muad'Dib

Alrighty. There are now separate 4.x and 5.x sections, each with a bugs section and a usability issues section, with simple descriptions of what a bug and what a usability issue are. These areas are for issues with versions UNDER DEVELOPMENT, not released versions, so the people using them should generally have enough sense to be able to distinguish the difference when provided with those descriptions.

I've made Lobster and Barry moderators in 5.x. Barry because he's in charge this time around, so he may find it useful. Lobster just to have a generic moderator to take care of spam if Flash or I don't catch it, since Barry will hopefully be too busy for mundane stuff like that._________________Between depriving a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there exists only a difference of degree. --Muad'Dib

Alrighty. There are now separate 4.x and 5.x sections, each with a bugs section and a usability issues section, with simple descriptions of what a bug and what a usability issue are. These areas are for issues with versions UNDER DEVELOPMENT, not released versions, so the people using them should generally have enough sense to be able to distinguish the difference when provided with those descriptions.

Good stuff PG, those are good sub forums to make out and your descriptions of what they're for are practical and sensible. Posting "bugs" and "usability" problems should be heaps clearer now. Thanks for the work you do on the forum!

This is really what we need...a usability section...a major focus for puppy and something that would take relatively little (programming) effort to sort out. It should stop all those pesky "what is a bug and what isnt" debates.

If something "doesnt work" or something "cannot be worked" its amounts to the same thing in real life.

FYI, this thread is about suggestions for this section of the forum, not suggestions about Puppy's content.

But as long as we're here: for removing built-in packages, it isn't as simple as it may seem - all things included in Puppy are inside a read-only compressed file. If you attempt to delete them, Puppy just hides them from you, because he cannot actually delete them. However, since Puppy can't see them anymore, if you make a remaster Puppy won't include those "deleted" items in the new version, so that new version will be smaller. I made a program called "Pet-Be-Gone" to remove packages so that you could remaster without them. More recently, pa_mcclamrock made a program called "Remaster Express" that I believe combines the same functionality as Pet-Be-Gone with an improved remaster script, in one handy program. I haven't used it myself so I can't vouch for how good it is, but it was included in Puppy 4.2, so I would recommend trying that before resorting to Pet-Be-Gone.

(Exception to the above: if you have a full-hd install, Puppy can and will truly delete things when you tell it to, so using Pet-Be-Gone would, in that case, allow you to free up space without the need to remaster. Though, a trimmed-down full install probably still takes more space than a "full-blown" Frugal install, because in a Frugal install the pup_xxx.sfs file is compressed to use less than half the pace required by a "full-blown" full install. Of course, you'd also need to have your pup_save.2fs file, which is generally bigger than a full-blown full install, but mostly filled with emptiness until you fill it with your own data....)_________________Between depriving a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there exists only a difference of degree. --Muad'Dib

Pizzasgood; This may be a little out of the discussion of this thread, but it relates.
In another thread it was suggested that there be a programmers forum for feedback.
I usually use the Cutting Edge forum, but it probably was never intended for that.
There`s forums for Software packages, and for Puppy projects, and Puppy variants.
But folks who develop new apps. and utilities have no set place to host their work.
Just a thought a few of us had... Terry

You're right, there isn't really anywhere to ask questions about programming in general. So without further ado:
the Programming section_________________Between depriving a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there exists only a difference of degree. --Muad'Dib

Pizzasgood; The thought was a programmers / developers corner.
I think this is what you have in mind, a general forum for the purpose.
Or is the Cutting Edge forum the place for programming works in progress?

A place to post works in progress and get feedback and bug reports.
A coders watering hole as it were, open for Q`s and A`s and such.

To "echo" battleshooter and James C, many thanks for the efforts... T.

Under-development projects that are Puppy related are welcome to live in Cutting Edge or Puppy Projects. Things that are to the point where normal users would be interested in using them may live in Additional Software, though perhaps that's a better place to post only the release versions.

The "Programming" section is for anything that doesn't fit in the above, such as questions, discussions about different languages/styles, non-puppy related projects, etc. Puppy related projects are also welcome there, particularly ones that involve a lot of asking questions about how to do things._________________Between depriving a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there exists only a difference of degree. --Muad'Dib

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